Local chimney chase cover replacement in St. Nicholas
Ponding, rust or a lifted edge on a chase top in St. Nicholas? Our local crew inspects it free and fits a cover made to measure.
- Family owned and operated
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- Upfront pricing, no hidden fees
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Get a quote for chimney and fireplace repair and installation in Jacksonville.
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About Us
Chase cover pros St. Nicholas neighbors can call direct
- Locally owned in Jacksonville
- Family owned and operated
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Free inspection and estimate
- Same-day service available
- 10% off when you book today
Rotted plates found under chase tops in St. Nicholas are shown to you and priced on their own line before anyone touches them.
- Free inspection and estimateWe measure your St. Nicholas chase and look under the old top at no charge before anything is quoted.
- Upfront pricing, no hidden feesMetal, gauge and any framing repair each get their own priced line, and that total is what you pay.
- Workmanship warrantyThe new top, its collars and its fasteners are covered by our workmanship warranty, written on the estimate.
Rust or water inside a metal firebox
Rust flakes on the floor of a factory-built firebox, or drips on its refractory panels after a storm, mean water is coming down the chimney system. On these units the water path tends to start outside, at the chase top, the storm collar or the termination cap, rather than inside the fireplace itself. We check those three from the roof on any St. Nicholas call about water in a metal fireplace. The fireplace's own parts are looked at from below, and anything that has been damaged by the water is written up separately so the cause and the damage are not confused. Tell us whether the St. Nicholas chase top ponds or drips when you ring (904) 920-5495; the inspection costs nothing.
The county for St. Nicholas is Duval County. St. Nicholas sits inland, more than about six miles from the coast.
Our Services
Your chase top job, part by part
- Old chase top, screws and sealant taken off the chase
- New top pitched or cross-broken so rain runs to the edges
- Skirt turned down over the siding, ending in a drip
- Metal grade and gauge written on your St. Nicholas estimate
How It Works
From tape measure to hose test in St. Nicholas
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Chase and pipe measured
On the free visit we measure the outside of the chase over the siding and read the fireplace model from its plate or manual.
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A top made to your chase
The cover is formed with cross-breaks or a pitch, a skirt with a drip edge and a raised collar sized to your pipe.
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Old top off, new top fastened
We pull the old cover and check the framing, then fasten the new top through its skirt and clamp a sealed storm collar at the pipe.
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Hose test before we leave
Water run over the new top has to leave from every edge. If it puddles anywhere, we reshape it before the job is done.
Where We Work
What wears out chase tops in St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas is more than about six miles from the coast, so salt is less of a factor for chase tops here. Standing water does the damage. A flat or sagging sheet holds a puddle after every storm, and the metal under it stays wet for days.
The fix is shape first: cross-breaks or a real pitch away from the pipe, in a gauge stiff enough to hold that shape.
10% off your first service when you book today
Mention the offer when you call and save 10% on a first chase cover job.
A quarter inch per foot away from the pipe
One fireplace maker's manual gives the minimum fall for a chase top: at least 1/4 inch per foot, sloping down away from the pipe opening. That may look slight, but it is enough to keep water moving on sheet metal as long as the sheet is stiff enough to hold its shape. A slope that reverses anywhere, even over a few inches, creates a low spot where water sits and the metal stays wet. A level goes on the finished top in several directions, and on a larger chase the sheet gauge is chosen so the slope holds across the span between the supports.
The gap that stays open around the pipe
Between the chimney pipe and the collar there is supposed to be a small gap. One manual specifies 1/8 inch, and it carries a fire-risk warning against filling it. The pipe of a factory-built chimney heats and cools, grows and shrinks, and relies on its air spaces to stay within its listed temperatures. Filling the gap ties the pipe to the sheet metal and can hold heat and water where neither belongs.
So the gap is left open, and the storm collar above it is what keeps rain out. If we find the gap filled on an old top, we clear it and note it.
Color finishes and what sits under them
Some owners want the chase top to match the roof or the trim. Painted and powder-coated finishes can be ordered on several metals, and the color is chosen with you. The finish is cosmetic. It protects the surface until it is scratched, chipped by a ladder or worn at a fold, and after that the metal underneath is what resists the weather.
So we choose the metal and gauge for the exposure first and add the color second, rather than letting a paint finish stand in for a better metal. A touch-up of chips during later chimney service keeps the finish looking right.
Free Inspection
Checks behind a chase cover price
- Metal, grade and gauge of the new top, stated in writing
- Fireplace maker and model read from the unit's rating plate
- Fastener type and spacing through the skirt into the chase sides
- Water test of the new top where the roof allows safe footing
FAQ
Chase cover questions from St. Nicholas
Do you replace chase covers in St. Nicholas?
We do. Tell us what you see on the chase top, such as rust, a puddle or a lifted edge, and we measure your St. Nicholas chase on the first visit.
Does my chimney have a chase cover?
If the chimney is a framed box finished like your walls, with a metal pipe and cap at the top, it has one. Brick and block chimneys end in a crown instead.
Our Services
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New chase cover, measured on site
Our chase cover pros measure, look under the old top and write the price before any work. Call (904) 920-5495 to set a time in St. Nicholas.
Free Inspection